Historic Win: Youngest School Board Member Secures Position in Nail-Biter Election

Nicolas Yendrzeski, a recent graduate of Maricopa High School, has secured a narrow victory in the race for the Maricopa Unified School District (MUSD) Governing Board.

Yendrzeski won by a mere 34 votes, tallying 9,785 votes (20.62%) against Shawnte’ Rothschild’s 9,751 votes (20.55%), claiming one of three available board seats. 

In total, the election saw 47,461 votes cast across the district.

The 18-year-old resident of Alterra is now believed to be the youngest school board member in MUSD history. 

With all precincts reporting late Wednesday night, Yendrzeski managed to secure his position after overcoming a 20-vote deficit from election night.

Attempts to contact Rothschild were unsuccessful on Thursday morning. 

Carolyn Lopez, the incumbent school board member, received the highest number of votes, garnering 14,787 (31%) to maintain her seat. Former board member Ben Owens secured a return with 12,721 votes (27%).

Yendrzeski, who also participates in political science studies at Arizona State University, had previously led his high school’s cyber defense team to a state championship at the CyberPatriot Competition in January.

He co-hosts a podcast called “The Controversy,” where he engages in discussions around education and student life. 

During a recent candidate debate held on September 26, many attendees identified Yendrzeski as the strongest speaker. In contrast, Rothschild did not attend the event, a decision that likely impacted her close loss.

“The journey has been an incredible experience, and I am truly grateful for everyone who has stood by me,” Rothschild said. “There is no bad outcome here, as I know each candidate is dedicated to advocating for our schools, students and educators. My commitment to our community remains steadfast.”

Yendrzeski expressed his excitement about his first political win, describing the moment as surreal. 

“I’m just truly grateful for the support of the community that was shown,” he remarked, noting that he would wait for the official vote canvass before declaring victory.

He also emphasized the importance of ongoing communication with community leaders and peers as he transitions into his leadership role on the board.

“Communication, that’s the big part,” he concluded.